George Washington Bridge lanes reopen after fatal crash [video]

The driver of one of the tractor-trailers involved in an early-morning crash on the George Washington Bridge has died, and the cleanup and investigation have resulted in a massive traffic jam.

All lanes have reopened, said Port Authority Police Capt. Ron Shindel, the bridge's commanding officer, though the shutdown caused a domino effect, with traffic backed up for miles along alternate routes.

The identity of the driver has not yet been released.

The crash occurred on the bridge’s eastbound upper level around 2:05 a.m. on the New Jersey span, Port Authority spokesman Joe Pentangelo said in an email.

The other driver was visibly shaken up and transported to Englewood Hospital and Medical Center with minor injuries, agency officials said.

One of the tractor-trailers was carrying food items; the other contained appliances, Shindel said. Both were fully loaded.

Tariq zehawi / staff photographer

Investigators on the scene of the fatal crash on the George Washington Bridge.

The Bergen County Prosecutor's Office also is investigating the crash.

Police have no reason to believe a reported suicide on the bridge at 2 a.m. is related to the crash, Shindel said. The incidents were more than 3,000 feet apart on the bridge.

Officials reopened one eastbound upper lane around 6 a.m., but the remaining lanes were closed for more than nine hours until officials had removed the victim's body and the trucks by 11:45 a.m. The cleanup was delayed because special equipment was needed to separate the trucks, Shindel said.

Cars crawled along the bridge's lower level into New York while vehicles could enter New Jersey by the bridge's upper and lower westbound lanes. Trucks and buses, however, have been banned from the lower level since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

A ripple effect of delays followed, with motorists inching along for miles around as they sought alternate routes into and out of the city.

The accident came just days before the Port Authority will close the bridge's three upper level lanes for 12 weeks during overnight hours for construction, beginning June 16.

The George Washington Bridge is one of the busiest bridges in the world, crossed by more than 100 million vehicles a year.

The Associated Press contributed to this story. Email: dazio@northjersey.com

George Washington Bridge lanes reopen after fatal crash [video]

The driver of one of the tractor-trailers involved in an early-morning crash on the George Washington Bridge has died, and the cleanup and investigation have resulted in a massive traffic jam.

All lanes have reopened, said Port Authority Police Capt. Ron Shindel, the bridge's commanding officer, though the shutdown caused a domino effect, with traffic backed up for miles along alternate routes.

The identity of the driver has not yet been released.

The crash occurred on the bridge’s eastbound upper level around 2:05 a.m. on the New Jersey span, Port Authority spokesman Joe Pentangelo said in an email.

The other driver was visibly shaken up and transported to Englewood Hospital and Medical Center with minor injuries, agency officials said.

One of the tractor-trailers was carrying food items; the other contained appliances, Shindel said. Both were fully loaded.

Investigators on the scene of the fatal crash on the George Washington Bridge.

The Bergen County Prosecutor's Office also is investigating the crash.

Police have no reason to believe a reported suicide on the bridge at 2 a.m. is related to the crash, Shindel said. The incidents were more than 3,000 feet apart on the bridge.

Officials reopened one eastbound upper lane around 6 a.m., but the remaining lanes were closed for more than nine hours until officials had removed the victim's body and the trucks by 11:45 a.m. The cleanup was delayed because special equipment was needed to separate the trucks, Shindel said.

Cars crawled along the bridge's lower level into New York while vehicles could enter New Jersey by the bridge's upper and lower westbound lanes. Trucks and buses, however, have been banned from the lower level since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

A ripple effect of delays followed, with motorists inching along for miles around as they sought alternate routes into and out of the city.

The accident came just days before the Port Authority will close the bridge's three upper level lanes for 12 weeks during overnight hours for construction, beginning June 16.

The George Washington Bridge is one of the busiest bridges in the world, crossed by more than 100 million vehicles a year.

The Associated Press contributed to this story. Email: dazio@northjersey.com